Overview
- Mrs Justice Justine Thornton imposed the life term at Brighton Law Courts following last month’s murder convictions.
- Prosecutors said Martin struck Chloe Bashford with a hammer, then stabbed her, before fatally stabbing and strangling Josh Bashford within minutes on 9 June 2023.
- After the killings, he collected the couple’s four children from school, met them at local cafés, took them to their grandmother’s home, and told police, “I’ve killed two people.”
- Evidence presented at trial included efforts to hide what happened, such as removing bedroom door handles and a doorbell camera and discarding a phone later found based on a note he wrote from custody.
- Five psychiatrists assessed Martin and noted depressive illness, but the jury found he understood and controlled his actions, as relatives now care for the orphaned children.